4 Reasons Why Driving While Distracted (DWD) May Be the New DUI

Distracted driving is potentially as dangerous as driving drunk and is much more common. If you drive while distracted, you should know these facts:

You are 23 times more likely to be involved in a collision if you text while driving and 4 times more likely if you talk on a cellphone (hand-held or hands-free) while driving.3

You may be breaking the law. All provinces in Canada, plus the Yukon and Northwest Territories now have bans in place on using cellphones or hand-held electronic devices while driving. Depending on the legislation, penalties can include hefty fines and, in many cases, demerit points.

A distracted driver may fail to see up to 50% of the available information in the driving environment. You may look but not actually “see” what is happening.4

A study showed that nearly 80% of collisions and 65% of near-collisions involved some form of driver inattention up to three seconds prior to the event.5

Penalties for Distracted Driving Across Canada6

Currently, no province bans drivers from using hands-free cellphones while driving. The following CAA chart summarizes legislation from across Canada about the use of hand-held cellphones while driving and many of the current distracted driving penalties.7